Now I know what you’re thinking, not another one of those Android blog sites claiming the same thing about Google releasing yet another “Google Play Edition” phone. Yes, yes we know how stressful seeing the same thing all over the place can be, but not this time! Today I want to make things a little bit different. As many of you know Google today released their own version of the Motorola G. There is a lot of controversial opinions about why they did this and what the big deal is between the GPE version and the original Moto G.. Well fret not, that’s where I come in to clear some air.
The GPE Moto G or (Google Play Edition) from Google , is simply a mirror image of the original Motorola G except for minor details you won’t find outside of the box. If you don’t already know On August 15, Google announced an agreement to acquire Motorola. This in part has changed the way Motorola develops their phones..at least on the software side. A great example would be if you purchase any of the two Motorola’s created under Google’s rein so far you will notice that they are pretty much already running stock versions of Android and by stock I mean none of that infested bloat filled atmosphere that Samsung phones come with. As I just noted the original Moto G under Motorola’s brand that was first released already runs a stock version of Android with only a few minor of Motorola’s software customization’s. This in part is a plus because no one and I mean no one, likes having a cluttered phones taking up precious space, especially if the phones are ones with no selection of expandable external storage memory. Now if you look at the GPE Moto G you are guaranteed a stock flavor of Android. Many may prefer this over the Motorola branded one. This means no bloat and you’re ready to sail away to your desired customization preference out of the box.
Now moving along, the second detail to point out is that the GPE Moto G is more likely to receive quicker updates rather than the original Motorola Moto G. This isn’t to say that the first Moto G is going to be left behind because as we have already seen, not too long ago it has already been updated to Kitkat Android 4.4. The only pros that I see in getting the Google version of the Moto G is guaranteed faster software updates.
Last but not least, this part is going to be the most important part in whether users purchase the Google version or the actual first Motorola Moto G. The GPE Moto G does not support 1700 MHz AWS band so it won’t work on all T-Mobile 3G coverage areas. Now don’t get all down in the dumps this doesn’t mean it won’t go any faster than just regular 3G, in fact the GPE Moto G supports UMTS/HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps on (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz.) All this means is that for those T-Mobile users that depend on the 1700/700 Mhz (4G Coverage) should stray away from this Moto G Google version. The original Motorola branded Moto G doesn’t have this problem, in fact it supports (UMTS/HSPA+ up to 21 Mbps (850, 1700 (AWS), 1900 MHz) so those lucky T-Mobile users can enjoy plenty of 4G coverage to roam in.
Moto G & GPE Moto G Wrap up:
Aside from all the above, the hardware on the original Motorola branded Moto G and the Moto G Google Play Edition are exactly identical. No changes have been made. They both have a price point of $179 and are unfortunately only available in the US.